Garden Route

The Garden Route is one of the most visited areas in South Africa, the scenery is diverse but certainly consistent in its beauty.

Running along the Western Cape coast, with a ridge of quartzite mountains on the one side and a deep blue sea on the other, the Garden Route is one of the most visited areas in South Africa. From pristine white beaches, lakes and forests, to navigable rivers and wild flowers in their millions, the scenery is diverse and breathtakingly beautiful.

Add to that temperatures which seldom drop below 20˚C and high annual rainfall (usually at night), and it’s easy to understand why even the earliest inhabitants described this as a land of milk and honey.

About The Garden Route

Why Visit

Head out on a road trip! Self-driving enthusiasts will delight in South Africa’s excellent road network.

Thrill on an exhilarating treetop canopy tour in the Tsitsikamma Forest

Devour fresh oysters by the two dozen in Knysna

Grahamstown Arts Festival

Knysna Oyster Festival in July

Climate

Summer (October-April)Min 24°C/75°F Max 32°C/90°F

Winter (May-September)Min 24°C/75°F Max 32°C/90°F

Fast Facts

Best time to travelA superb all-year beach destination, the perfect time to visit is between February and May, and the whales arrive from July to December.

Traveling with ChildrenThe Garden Route is a family-friendly destination with a wide variety of activities and facilities suitable for children.

WildlifeSouthern right whales, great white sharks, bottlenose and humpback dolphins, cape fur seals and the African penguin can be spotted on an ocean safari in the Indian Ocean.

LanguagesEnglish is widely spoken throughout the country even though South Africa has eleven official languages - Afrikaans, English, Zulu, Xhosa, Swati, Sotho, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Northern Sotho and Southern Ndebele.

Flying to South AfricaA sophisticated network of domestic and regional flights links the main tourist destinations.